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History of the Company

To make a breakthrough is a sign of great engineering; to have made dozens of pioneering innovations over the course of more than a century and a half is the sign of a great company. Since the 1830's, when William Bickford invented safety fuse, our dedication to advancing the reliability, precision, and accuracy of energetics has been unequaled.

In 1936, The Ensign-Bickford Company (EBCo) developed Primacord® detonating cord, a breakthrough that led to the development of low energy detonating cord and later to flexible linear shaped charges. In 1956, as aerospace sciences developed, we provided research and development work for Frankford Arsenal and Sandia National Labs to develop linear shaped charge, a product critical to the early strategic missile and launch vehicle programs. This was the beginning of government aerospace work at EBCo and in 1965 the formation of the Space Ordnance Division. The Ensign-Bickford Company now had a division to expedite the application of our commercial technologies to Government challenges.

Starting in the 1990s, our energetic expertise advanced significantly through the development and application of plastic bonded explosive and non-electric initiation military demolition products. Recognizing that soldiers' requirements and threats have evolved, we developed multi-component breaching systems based on our core explosive technology. In response to requirements for small, light and flexible systems; we developed APOBS (Anti-Personnel Obstacle Breaching System), SAPLIC (Small Projected Line Charge) and RWBK (Rapid Wall Breaching Kit) breaching systems.

Most recently, EBAD has married our efforts on insensitive munitions and enhanced blast explosives with new explosive casting and pressing facilities. The result is a state-of-the-art warhead manufacturing capability that puts EBAD at the forefront of the industry for warhead pressing, casting and final assembly.

William Bickford's legacy of innovation; working closely with partners and understanding their expertise, remains the catalyst for the innovation we deliver today. Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company prides itself in understanding a mission's objectives and working tirelessly toward a solution.

With a wide variety of energetic technologies and the engineering and manufacturing capabilities to deliver on time, EBAD gives you more than history to rely on. Having provided energetics innovation for over a century, no one understands better than we do that when it's your mission, there is no second chance.